Muscle transcriptome profile of Alentejano and Bísaro pig breeds

Gene expression is one of the main factors to influence meat quality by modulating fatty acid composition and deposition rates in the muscle tissue. This study aimed to explore the transcriptomic universe of the longissimus lumborum muscle in two local pig breeds with distinct genetic background (n=10) using next-generation sequencing technologies and the traditional Real-Time qPCR. RNAseq yielded 49 DEG's, with 34 overexpressed in the Alentejano (AL) and 15 in the Bísaro (BI) breed. MYH3 was found significantly overexpressed (log2 FC=-1.191, q<0.05) in the leaner BI pigs and is suggested to impact the development of skeletal muscle tissue. Several candidate genes for lipid metabolism with low counts excluded with RNAseq such as ACLY (p<0.05), ADIPOQ (p<0.01), ELOVL6 (p<0.001), LEP (p<0.05) and ME1 (p<0.05) showed to have an unavoidable relevance through Real-Time quantitation. These results agree with the more adipogenic profile of the AL breed. Adiponectin resistance and higher levels of MAP3K14 may explain an induced insulin resistance, increased inflammatory response and lower loin size. Overall design: Comparation of the transcriptomic data in muscle tissue (longissimus lumborum) of the two main portuguese pig breeds